Boston College

[Anonymous]

DD really liked BC when we visited - campus, proximity to Boston, overall vibe etc. However, we are not Catholic or deeply religious. DD is liberal in her beliefs - pro-choice, women's/gay rights etc. I know that there is a philosophy/religion class requirement, but other than that, do you think she would have time fitting in? Has anyone's non-religious kid thrived there? Would love to hear good/bad. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I think it probably has a Jesuit feel, similar to the way G’town does, but I don’t have any firsthand knowledge either way.

[Anonymous]

Is your kid a junior or senior? It's a good place to ED.

[Anonymous]

It's more "Catholic" than Georgetown but Georgetown is the least Catholic of Catholic schools out there. They're almost embarrassed to be Catholic.

I wouldn't recommend BC or any Catholic college except Georgetown if you're affirmatively anti-religion. If you're at least marginally tolerant of religion, BC is a fine choice. The required philosophy and theology classes at Jesuit colleges -- of which BC is one -- are few in number, interesting in content, and nothing at all like bible study classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's more "Catholic" than Georgetown but Georgetown is the least Catholic of Catholic schools out there. They're almost embarrassed to be Catholic.

I wouldn't recommend BC or any Catholic college except Georgetown if you're affirmatively anti-religion. If you're at least marginally tolerant of religion, BC is a fine choice. The required philosophy and theology classes at Jesuit colleges -- of which BC is one -- are few in number, interesting in content, and nothing at all like bible study classes.

OP here. Not anti-religion, just don't participate actively in a church and are protestant. Just wasn't sure if Catholic belief system was most important, which she absolutely doesn't share. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I'm a BC alum. Quite a few BC students are pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ. The Jesuits support the social Gospel and related economic and environmental policies including a preferential option for the poor and underserved.

[Anonymous]

I would recommend some further research. I think it may be more about what kind of diversity she hopes for in her college friends and experience. We looked into this for the same reasons of your original post and so understand the desire to want to have the school be an option. It checks off a lot of boxes. We found in our research that the majority of the kids are Catholic and the priests all hold leadership positions in the school. 20-25% of the kids come from the Catholic high schools (depending on the year). There are so many great schools out there our son decided not to apply simply because he wanted more diversity and to have friends from all different backgrounds and not have one type of background dominate. We wanted that for him as well. Yes, there is some diversity at BC and some might say it's not that religious but it attracts students who identify as Catholic (was much as 70% of the student body depending on the year) which creates a less diverse student body. That ultimately was not what he was looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would recommend some further research. I think it may be more about what kind of diversity she hopes for in her college friends and experience. We looked into this for the same reasons of your original post and so understand the desire to want to have the school be an option. It checks off a lot of boxes. We found in our research that the majority of the kids are Catholic and the priests all hold leadership positions in the school. 20-25% of the kids come from the Catholic high schools (depending on the year). There are so many great schools out there our son decided not to apply simply because he wanted more diversity and to have friends from all different backgrounds and not have one type of background dominate. We wanted that for him as well. Yes, there is some diversity at BC and some might say it's not that religious but it attracts students who identify as Catholic (was much as 70% of the student body depending on the year) which creates a less diverse student body. That ultimately was not what he was looking for.

OP here. Agreed. It’s a tough choice because it does tick so many of the boxes DD wants in a college experience.

[Anonymous]

An article from a BC alum that describes how BC remains a deeply homophobic institution:

https://www.bcheights.com/2021/04/11/a-message-to-prospective-students-homophobia-at-boston-college/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would recommend some further research. I think it may be more about what kind of diversity she hopes for in her college friends and experience. We looked into this for the same reasons of your original post and so understand the desire to want to have the school be an option. It checks off a lot of boxes. We found in our research that the majority of the kids are Catholic and the priests all hold leadership positions in the school. 20-25% of the kids come from the Catholic high schools (depending on the year). There are so many great schools out there our son decided not to apply simply because he wanted more diversity and to have friends from all different backgrounds and not have one type of background dominate. We wanted that for him as well. Yes, there is some diversity at BC and some might say it's not that religious but it attracts students who identify as Catholic (was much as 70% of the student body depending on the year) which creates a less diverse student body. That ultimately was not what he was looking for.

OP here. Agreed. It’s a tough choice because it does tick so many of the boxes DD wants in a college experience.

OP, I recognize this poster from a previous thread about Jesuit colleges. He has an agenda, and knows very little about BC. Also, his claim that "priests all hold leadership positions in the school" is demonstrably wrong. You can see that from a cursory review of the school's website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An article from a BC alum that describes how BC remains a deeply homophobic institution:

https://www.bcheights.com/2021/04/11/a-message-to-prospective-students-homophobia-at-boston-college/

Same poster. Same agenda. Bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An article from a BC alum that describes how BC remains a deeply homophobic institution:

https://www.bcheights.com/2021/04/11/a-message-to-prospective-students-homophobia-at-boston-college/

Do you have some kind of alert on your computer that buzzes every time the internet mentions Boston College? So strange that you continue to assail a school that you know so little about.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't say it's conservative in a religious or political sense...but it is kinda conservative in...vibe? Not very diverse, very preppy, lots of conventional, popular, attractive, sporty kids from UMC backgrounds, beer drinking, etc. Smart, yes, but definitely more pre-professional as opposed to a "life of the mind" kind of place. I wouldn't worry about the religion so much, but ask yourself if your daughter fits into that vibe.

My artsy, quirky kid noped the hell out of there when we toured, but my younger one would probably like it (she's only a sophomore so haven't started tours yet).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't say it's conservative in a religious or political sense...but it is kinda conservative in...vibe? Not very diverse, very preppy, lots of conventional, popular, attractive, sporty kids from UMC backgrounds, beer drinking, etc. Smart, yes, but definitely more pre-professional as opposed to a "life of the mind" kind of place. I wouldn't worry about the religion so much, but ask yourself if your daughter fits into that vibe.

My artsy, quirky kid noped the hell out of there when we toured, but my younger one would probably like it (she's only a sophomore so haven't started tours yet).

All of this.

[Anonymous]

If BC is so conservative, why are there articles about the school like this in conservative rags?

https://www.thecollegefix.com/their-college-said-a-conservative-newspaper-was-not-a-necessity-they-beg-to-differ/